Pueblo High School teachers rally for Prop 414 funding measure

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Teachers at Pueblo High School started their morning with a walk-in demonstration supporting Proposition 414, a critical funding measure for Tucson Unified School District that will appear on the ballot.

The proposition would renew a 15% budget override for TUSD worth about $45 million per year, funded through local property taxes within the district. The money would support academic programs in math, reading and the arts, maintain small class sizes and provide teacher pay raises.

"I'm out here this morning spreading awareness for Prop 414 to bring increased funding to TUSD schools," said Ben Koehler, a freshman math teacher at Pueblo High School.

Teachers gathered before the first bell to raise awareness for the measure, emphasizing their goal was not to disrupt the school day but to inform voters about what's at stake.

TUSD has not had an override in more than 25 years and is the only major school district in Tucson without a voter-approved override. Without the funding, Koehler said schools could face larger class sizes, with some already nearing 40 students per class at Pueblo.

"Anything we can do to get those class sizes down is going to be important," Koehler said.

The measure would slightly raise property taxes. If approved, homeowners with an average assessed value of $200,000 would pay $17 more per month.

"Increasing our pay will allow us to be competitive with other school districts and again provide the best for our students," Koehler said.

Koehler believes the student benefits outweigh the costs.

"I think property tax values should go up fairly nominally compared to the benefit that we'll get to our community," Koehler said.

If Prop 414 does not pass, the district says it will likely have to cut student programs and would not be able to offer competitive teacher salaries.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.